The Landscape Architect’s Guide to

Frederick Douglass Historic Site

Your Guide

Cedar Hill, the historic Frederick Douglass estate located in the Historic Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., was purchased and named in 1877 by the freed slave, abolitionist, and famous orator after the abundance of cedar trees located on the original site. After years of neglect, the home became part of the National Park Service’s jurisdiction, restored over the years to its current condition, and opened to the public. Frederick Douglass was known as The Lion of Anacostia because of his courage and mane of hair. The history of the Frederick Douglass home is an important legacy for the Anacostia neighborhood and is celebrated throughout the surrounding community through annual festivals and educational youth outreach programs.

View Sites Nearby

The Garden

At the edge of the entrance lot sits the Douglass Memorial garden. Located at the base of the hillside, a meandering swale of sweeping colors and rich textures of plant materials is traversed by a wooden footbridge that directs you to follow a path through a wooden arbor to the healing bench made of recycled pickle barrels. A small journal can be found under the pickle bench for visitors to record thoughts, feelings, or inspirations.

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Cedar Hill

The Frederick Douglass House sits on top of Cedar Hill which gives it a monumental presence. The dramatic, well-manicured sloped lawns are hugged with a path that gradually leads you to the entrance road. The walk up to the house comes at a slow pace as you navigate the slopes, which offers time to enjoy the mature trees and views along the way.

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Moments of Pause

The original entrance from the street to the front door of the house traverses a series of sculpted terraced lawns with a brick staircase and black handrails that cuts into the slope. Wide terrace landings offers moments of pause along the 51-foot grade change.

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Spectacular Views

One of the many points of interest at Cedar Hill is the spectacular views of Historic Anacostia and the Anacostia River. Other points of interest seen beyond in the impressive D.C. skyline include the Washington Monument, the Southeast Waterfront, and Nationals Park. The original driveway to the house enters from 14th Street and wraps around the property to navigate the grades and lead to the back entrance where the carriage house was located.

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The Restored Home

The original restored Frederick Douglass home is a wonderful reflection of the historic architecture of Anacostia. The house faces north perpendicular to the Anacostia River and is lined by seasonal border planting beds at the main entrance. Attention is drawn to the symmetry of front door and windows of the home and the intricate lattice cornice supported by formal columns along the front porch.

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Cozy Front Porch Charm

The wooden front porch extends across the entire length of the house. The benches and rocking chair placed within the shady space offers a cozy front porch charm. The porch is accessed from three sides by three wooden stairs that step up and wrap around the perimeter.

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A Sculpted Slope

The west slope of the property dips down, revealing the surrounding Historic Anacostia neighborhood on 14th Street, SE, and the lush tree canopy of Anacostia Park beyond. The hillside is a carefully sculpted slope covered with groundcover plants, an open lawn area, and large canopy trees. The remains of the original brick stable and other structures can be seen tucked away into the landscape.

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The Place for Croquet

The back yard on the south side of the site offers a level hilltop for play areas and activities and the carriage circle driveway before falling off on all sides back down the sloped the site. The drive is accented with a brick edge, and a brick path connects to the house. The open lawn between the house and the circle was used by Douglass to play his favorite game: croquet. Neighborhood tour guides are on site to demonstrate the game to visitors.

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The Growlery

The restored Growlery, located on the south end of the site, is a small shed-like structure that was used by Frederick Douglass as a getaway space for thinking and writing. The rustic stone structure with the wooden door and brick chimney connects to the house by a narrow stone pathway.

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A Quiet Softness

Down along the surrounding streets, the views looking up onto Cedar Hill provide a quiet softness against the surrounding dense urban neighborhood grid. This is a reminder of the importance of open space and the balance it provides within the inner city.

Image: Adrienne McCray